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According to research, children who can play musical instruments are less likely to engage in illicit drugs, premarital sex, and alcoholism. This is one of the reasons why parents are enticed to enroll their children in music classes. On the other hand, with all the musical instruments that could be played by children, how would you know which one is appropriate for your child?

The fact is that you can’t expect your 5-year-old to learn how to play the piano, not that it is impossible. There are some brilliant children in this world that can even start reading at 3! But, on an average, children are simply not mature enough to learn music. Therefore, the age of your child must be considered. Aside from the age, the size of the musical instrument should also be pondered on. If your child has a small stature, then he would be having a hard time standing up carrying a big tuba. That wouldn’t be a good scene, too. So, make sure that your child can actually carry the instrument without any difficulty.

The personality of your child is also a very important consideration. A child who is sociable and loves interacting with other people may not have fun learning the piano alone every day. But, he would prefer being with a class or a band, playing and learning with other children. Not all children have personal preferences in musical instrument. On the other hand, if your child has an instrument he wants to learn, like for example a guitar, then you might want to take on that offer so that he can actually enjoy playing since it is what he wants. Enrolling him in a saxophone class even if he wanted to learn the piano may result to an uninspired child.

As young as 5 years old, children are starting to learn what their type of music is. This can also be a very effective basis in deciding what kind of instrument your child will have fun learning. If your child loves singing acoustic music, then you can enrol him in a guitar class. On the other hand, if your child loves jazz, then a saxophone would be a great instrument for him to learn.

The fact is that the children and their preferences are not just the factor in choosing the type of musical instrument. It may be tempting to dream about learning all kinds of instruments, but at the end of the day, your choices are still limited to the available classes in your locality. On the other hand, there is really no saying that your child should learn a very intricate type of instrument like drums, harp, or violin. Even while it may be a good idea, if it is not within your reach, then you and your child might just end up feeling frustrated.

Keep in mind that enrolling your child in a music class is a way of enhancing and expanding the realm of thinking of the child. It is not about the achievement, nor the talent. In the end, it is still your child’s development you’re after.

If you’re looking to get that first musical instrument for your child, a lot is going to depend on how old your child is. I’ve got some thoughts on musical instruments for school aged children elsewhere on this site, but I’m going to discuss Toy Musical Instruments here.

Assuming the child you are purchasing an instrument for is younger than school age, I’d strongly recommend going the toy route first. Needless to say, a six year old wouldn’t be too impressed with a toy musical instrument, but a 4 year old surely would be, especially with what’s on the market today.

For inside of $25, you can get an instrument that your child will actually be able to play something on. Most are made of plastic, but don’t let that fool you. Some of these instruments are really great, as they have teaching components built right in.

For example:

Toy Musical Instruments: Pretend Play Childrens Saxophone

This particular Saxophone has 8 colorful keys that let the little one play actual notes. The colored keys match up with color coordinated music that is provided with the Saxophone. Your child will be playing “Jingle Bells”, “Oh! Susana”, and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in no time flat!

This unit is great for children over 3 years old. Small parts make this unsuitable for those under 3 years. 14″ long, so it’s just the right fit.

Hohner Toy Accordion

Here’s another of the quality children’s toy instruments available today. For right around $25, your child can become an accordion in short order! This unit has 7 buttons that produce 14 actual notes, with 2 additional bass buttons and one air release button. (C Diatonic Scale)

This Accordion measures 7″x 5″x 4″ and is great for anyone between 3 and 6 years old.

7 buttons producing 14 notes, with 2 additional bass buttons and one air release button. (C Diatonic Scale) 7″ x 5″ x 4″ (Ages 3-6)

Kawasaki Drum Pad

Is your child begging you for a set of drums? Sure, you can get a cheap set for around $50, but you aren’t sure you want to take that step yet. Why not buy a drum pad so they can see if there really is the interest and ability there before making the plunge for a nice drum kit?

With the Kawasaki Drum Pad, you’ll find out pretty fast if your child has what it takes to move on to a full set. This unit is small in size, but really big in functionality. It’s got a full set of really great sounding drum pads, which include 4 drum effects along with sixteen drum sounds. Your drummer to be will be happy to know that the keyboard includes 30 different backtround rhythms. Something you’ll like is that it has a volume control! It also lights up and has both a classic and an electronic mode. Comes complete with 2 drumsticks.

This requires Six AA batteries – be sure to have extras on hand. With all the features this unit has, it’s a great first drum set to get started with without having to spend a bundle. Recommended for ages 5 and up. Now go get your Toy Musical Instruments.

As parents we are always seeking new ideas and ways of promoting healthy development skills in our children. For years studies have shown that children who actively partake in musical education have developed faster and more effective skills in a variety of areas. Studies have also shown that nearly every child has some sort of musical ability. We as parents simply need to provide the support necessary to help them fine tune these skills.

The first question we usually have is “what instrument should I choose?” The answer to this is not a cut and dry, one size fits all type of solution. Many parents choose children’s piano’s as a first instrument as kids seem to be open to the ease of use and the different sounds a piano makes. Others will go for a more complex instruments such as a kids size guitar or school band instruments such as cello’s, harps, violins, xylophones and so on. Drums are also a great early musical instrument as children tend to enjoy the noise and fun of banging a drum. The bottom line is no matter which they choose the benefits are almost endless. When a child begins to engage in musical activity numerous brain activity is being used.

This activity is just the spark that some kids need to help them grow mentally and even build better physical attributes. Some of the most common benefits of instrument playing and musical instrument lessons are;

-Enhanced motor skills
-Stronger math and science skills
-Increased concentration
-Better ability to complete patterns and maze activities
-Parent and teacher bonding -Higher sense of self worth
-Teamwork

While not every child will grow to be a professional musician, many will enjoy playing for years and some will even join their school band or form their very own Garage band someday. Others will simply turn toward other interests and that’s fine too. The point is to provide a healthy and fun way to enhance their development and early learning.

Jim Cipriano is a proud parent and owner of [http://www.kidstruments.com] an online resource for children’s musical instruments.

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We all know that fuelling our child’s creativity is important. But encouraging them to put down the TV remote and pick up something like a musical instrument isn’t always easy. However, if your little ones do get bitten by the music bug, what are the best instruments for them to pick up and play?

Your child’s school will often actively encourage them to take up an instrument, so there are plenty of opportunities for them to get creative. Here, we look at six of the best musical instruments for children of all ages:

1. Violin

The violin is one of those instruments everyone was shown at school. Available in a range of sizes for kids of all ages, this is the perfect instrument for your child. They are easy to carry around, and require little maintenance – which is good news for parents of accident-prone kids!

2. Drums

Sure, they might be a little loud and quite large, but drums are a great musical instrument for kids. They’re such fun to play, and your child can really let loose. If you don’t have the room for a full kit, you can purchase individual and handheld drums. This will also make them a cheaper purchase.

3. Piano

The piano is a wonderful way for your child to get creative and learn a new skill. It can be played as a solo or group instrument, and is a great choice for serious musicians. Don’t have the space and money for a piano? A keyboard with weighted keys will work just as well. This is recommended until you know your child is serious about keeping up with the commitment of playing.

4. Guitar

Popular culture has catapulted the guitar into superstardom, making it the instrument of choice for beginner musicians. You should let your child know that the beginning stages are a challenge, but worth persevering. Start your little ones off with an acoustic version, before rocking out with an electric.

5. Flute

The flute is a great woodwind instrument and a popular choice for school lessons. It is small and easy to carry around, and requires little care and maintenance. Like the guitar, mastering the initial technique can be a challenge for young children. Despite this, it is a convenient choice and a great option for many young beginners.

6. Trumpet

With a strong, distinctive sound this member of the brass family is the perfect choice for kids who like to make an entrance. Your child will be able to identify the trumpet in a whole host of modern songs, which only makes it more popular. Again though, getting the hang of the initial technique may be difficult for some kids.

Encouraging your little ones to play a musical instrument is a great way to help them grow. They learn to be responsible, committed, determined, and creative. They learn to value their own belongings, and will really grow in self-esteem. So what are you waiting for? Snap up a great kid-friendly musical instrument today!

If you’d like to find out more about learning a musical instrument then pay a visit to the following post.

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When most people think about Percussion Instruments, they will think drums.  Sure, it’s true – drums are percussion instruments, but the percussion family is much more than simply drums.  As a general rule, any instrument that you either beat or strike in order to make some sort of sound is considered part of the percussion family.  In addition to drums, rattles, cymbals, plates, and marimbas are all percussion instruments.  While it may come as a surprise, the piano is part of the family as well.  Many think of the piano as a string instrument, but it’s not because the sound is produced by hammers striking the strings.  No hammers, no sound.  Of course the same thing could be said for the strings, but it all starts with the hammers.  Percussion Instruments is a great place for children to being their entrance into the musical world because they can be some of the easiest to pick up and master.

Percussion Family More Prevalent Than Most Think

When you listen closely to most music, you’ll hear one kind or another of a percussion instrument.  It may be as simple as a block of wood or a complete percussion section of an orchestra.  This dates back to the beginning of music itself.  It really is the cornerstone of all music when you think about it.  With music dating back to the most primitive societies, what was most available?  You guessed it – percussion style instruments!  To this day, tribal music is most closely identified with drums and songs.

Understanding And Learning Percussion Instruments

While some think that some percussion instruments are easy to operate – such as the symbol, bells, gongs or wood blocks – one needs to learn how to play each and everyone of them.  When playing a song, certain notes need to be generated.  Without the proper training, it’ll be next to impossible to generate the required notes.  Sure, it seems easy to clang to symbols together at just the right time, but there is a certain skill involved to hit the right notes.

It’s true that anyone can pick up a set of drum sticks and start playing the drums without any musical knowledge, but if you have any desire to be part of a band, you’ll have to have a clear understanding of what you are doing.  The same can be said for any other percussion instrument.

Enjoying The World Of Percussion

As you become involved in the world of percussion, you are going to find so many wonderful sounds that you’ve likely never paid attention to in the past.  So much of the percussion music you hear today got its start in Africa and other primitive cultures from around the world in past times.  As you go along, you’ll realize just how important the percussion section really is to a band or orchestra.  Without the Percussion Instruments family, music in general would really be pretty bland.

While it is now generally accepted that music is important for the development of babies and young children, many parents are confused by the array of musical toys, instruments and recordings that are available in the market place. Musical instruments shall be discussed here.

The percussion family
There are a number of musical instruments generally from the percussion family that are suitable for little ones. Percussion instruments are defined as those instruments that are shaken, scraped or struck with a beater or mallet. There are two kinds of percussion instruments: tuned and un-tuned. Tuned percussion instruments are correctly pitched enabling the playing of melodies. The piano is a tuned percussion instrument as are electronic keyboards and instruments with bars such as xylophones and glockenspiels and individual tone or resonator bars. By far the majority of percussion instruments are un-tuned and some examples include maracas or shakers, triangles, jingle bells and tambourines and drums.

What is best for baby?
It is important that babies are provided with musical toys and instruments that are age appropriate. Adult musical instruments can often be unsuitable. Size really does matter. For example a large pair of Latin wooden maracas would not be suitable for a young baby as they are too heavy and cannot be easily manipulated. Strong sounds may also startle babies. There are however many types of mini maracas or baby maracas that are lightweight with a delicate sound, have easy grasp handles and are safe and washable. They provide visual stimulation as well with lots of bright, colourful beads that are safely enclosed. This is an important consideration as all children under one year will put everything in the mouth. Halilit produce some beautiful mini maracas for babies as well as lovely rainbow rain shakers in small sizes. They also have a mini sea drum with beads and a lovely sea pattern.

Care needs to be taken when selecting bells. All bells have jingles and small parts that can be a choking hazard. Bells should only be used under supervision with little ones. There is however a completely safe bell for babies produced by Kindermusik where the jingles are enclosed in cloth. These bells are attached to Velcro and can be wrapped around wrists and ankles.

Appealing to young children
Babies and young children learn through all the senses. Musical toys and musical instruments should be appealing in many ways. They should not only sound great but should be visually attractive with good design and bright colours. They should also feel good to play and encourage active playing. They are not just for looking at. Good quality musical instruments can withstand vigorous use. Many toy drums for example can be five minute wonders but a sturdy drum with a natural skin head or quality synthetic head can give years of enjoyment. Remo produce some beautiful children’s drums from the delicious looking lollipop to jungle patterned toms, djembes, and bongos.

Quality and price
Good quality can often mean paying considerably more. This is the case not only with drums but certainly with xylophones and glockenspiels. Sonor produce a glockenspiel with precision tuning and an incredibly beautiful sound that is built to last for years. In comparison many cheap barred instruments have a tinny, dull, highly inaccurate pitch. But quality can also come at bargain basement prices if you know what to look for and where to look. Many examples can be found with wooden toys and wooden musical instruments such as castanets, tone blocks, spinning crackers and recorders.

Christine Gora

Christine Gora has a Masters Degree in education and over 35 years experience as a teacher. At her online music store http://www.kidsmusictoys.com.au you can see a range of musical instruments to encourage music making in young children. Join the mailing list and you will receive a free gift (value $19.95) with your first order.

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Brass Musical Instruments seem to be very popular with children just starting to play. The top of the brass list for children? The trumpet! Sure, there are kids who want to start out with the Tuba, French Horn, Trombone or even a Saxophone, but the most popular starting brass instrument for children is the trumpet.

Now, a trumpet can be a costly investment, especially when you don’t know if your child is going to stick with it, or change their mind and want to play something else two weeks later. You’ve got options when it comes to dealing with this type of situation.

1. Do a search on eBay for Trumpets. You’ll find several sellers selling brand new trumpets for less than $100. Of course, these aren’t professional trumpets as some of the ads may suggest. Rather, they are cheap instruments that are made in either China or in India. These are perfect for the beginning trumpet player! If you run into a situation where your child wants to move on to another instrument, you won’t be out big money, and you can resell it on eBay.

2. Depending on the age of your child, you may want to purchase a toy trumpet at a local toy store, or on Amazon. Amazon has a great selection of various toy instruments – trumpets run around $25. Again, not a bank account buster.

3. If your child is in school, check with the music / band director to see if they have a rental program set up with a local music shop. All rental agreements are different, but some will allow you to trade instruments within a certain period of time, should your child want to play something different.

4. Check with your local music shop on any used trumpets they may have in stock. You may end up getting a really good deal locally.

In the end, you should be able to come up with a decent trumpet at a reasonable price using one of these methods. I’ve included some of the units that are available on the market right now so you can get and idea of what you’re likely going to need to spend.

Signature Music 2110L Bb Trumpet

This is a great trumpet for the beginner / child. It’s a Bb (B Flat) trumpet, which is what you want for your beginner trumpet student. It’s got excellent tone and a great response.

As with most trumpets, this unit includes a hard (ABS) shell case that is plush lined. It also comes with a mouthpiece. This beginner trumpet runs right around $130.

Austin Bazaar B Flat Nickel Plated Trumpet

Here’s another nice trumpet for the beginner that has a retail price of right around $100. It’s a Bb and has really nice looking nickel plated body. The bell diameter is 125mm (approx 4.92 inches) with a bore size of 11.66.

Included with this trumpet is a carry case, strap, and white gloves that will really make your child look professional! Again, this is a great beginner trumpet that won’t bust the budget as it comes in right around $100.

Brass Musical Instruments – Tristar Student Trumpet

Here’s another trumpet that is a great first children’s musical instrument. This particular model comes from India. You can usually find it for around $50.

This particular trumpet is chrome plated and comes with a standard 7c mouthpiece. This unit does not come with a case, however. It’s 21″ long, which is the standard size of a student trumpet and plays in Bb.

So, as you can see, you can get your child into a decent trumpet that will get them through the early years without spending a fortune. In my opinion, the best place for a child to start off is with Brass Musical Instruments – more specifically – a trumpet.

The fastest way to change your mood or someone else’s mood is to put on music with the appropriate tone. Put on a happy, upbeat song and watch as a frown turns upside down and heads start nodding to the beat happily. Put on a slow song with heartbreaking lyrics of love lost or the suffering of death, and watch as moods start to drop and eyes start to well up with tears. Music is a universal language that touches the human soul deeply, and that is what makes homeschooling music so important.

Homeschool music lessons can revolve around the history of different music genres or the music commonly expressed by specific populations of people in history and today. In this way, music lessons can be combined with other subjects of homeschool learning, such as history or social studies.

While those lessons are valuable, there are some substantial advantages to teaching your children to play at least one musical instrument while they are under your homeschool instruction:

Playing music gives your child a productive way to express their deepest feelings and emotions.

Playing music allows children to communicate with others. This even includes shy children or those who have difficulty expressing themselves through words or on paper.

Some musical instruments help develop fine and/or gross motor skills. Think of the practice it takes to control a violin bow or the delicate finger motions required to pick a guitar to a fast-paced tune.

Music can serve as a stress reliever that has a calming effect on the music creator and those within hearing distance of the music.

Homeschooled children can work together to create music together. Consider it your personal band there to put a smile on your face every day.

Homeschooling music lessons can be fun and lighthearted, which makes them the perfect way to break up a day otherwise filled with mathematics and science.

Musical instrument lessons give children exposure to success. Even small improvements can get a child excited and encourage them to continue on to the next small improvement. This is a major confidence booster for every child.
Keep in mind there are many instruments that your children many take an interest in, and that includes their own voice. If someone in your family is proficient with a particular instrument or is talented in vocal expressions, ask them to give your children weekly lessons with a homework assignment for weekly practice between lessons. You can also spring for professional lessons if your budget has the room, or there are free YouTube videos offering lessons on the guitar, piano, violin, and other instruments.

Tips for Starting Homeschool Music Lessons

Let each child help select the instrument they learn. The learning process is more efficient if the child has some level of interest in the instrument.

Set limits as far as when or how often your children are allowed to switch to new instruments. Some children may discover they do not enjoy the first instrument they select, and others may want to quit when they realize their chosen instrument is not as easy as they expected. Instruments are expensive, and some instruments take time to learn. Discuss your expectations with each child so they take the instrument selection process seriously. For instance, you may tell your children that you will only purchase one instrument for each of them per year. Once they have chosen for this year’s instructions, they will stick with that instrument until the next school year.

Allow each child to learn at their own speed. Do not criticize even the slowest learner. Music lessons can be incredibly powerful and inspiring as long as children are given a positive approach and permission to mess up. Do-overs are always permitted.
Find fun ways to turn your homeschool music lessons to life. For instance, why not allow your children to perform for extended family or a nursing home during the holidays or at the end of the year? Concerts can be created just for your children!

Carolann Henderson, homeschooling mom, website editor, researcher, student of graphic design, and musician in our family bluegrass gospel band, The Hendersons. You’ll find some more homeschooling curriculum reviews, general homeschooling information, free resources, tips and encouragement on my website. I also have a free gift for you that you will find instrumental in getting and staying organized in homeschooling and all areas of your life along with a free ebook to help you homeschool holidays. You can claim your free gifts by visiting my website http://www.homeschooling-road-map.com and signing up for our free newsletter.

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Learning to play Childrens Musical Instruments can be an incredible experience for a child.  Not only can it boost self confidence, but teaches discipline at an early age.  Unfortunately, you can end up in a situation where your child may end up wanting to play multiple instruments.  I say unfortunately because this process can be a very expensive and risky process.  For example, what happens when your child decides they want to play the trumpet?  But after a few weeks, decide they’d rather play the clarinet?

The best way to tackle this situation is to purchase inexpensive instruments made for toddlers and younger children.  You can generally find some great deals on Children’s Musical Instruments on eBay, or in your local toy store.

Generally speaking, the cheaper musical instruments on eBay are made in China or in India.  While these instruments are certainly functional and are great starter instruments, you will eventually want to upgrade to a more professional model down the road, should your child continue playing and end up in their high school band at some point.

Second hand Childrens Musical Instruments

Another great way to deal with this situation is to pay a visit to your local music store and see if they have any used or refurbished children’s musical instruments.  This is a fantastic way to go, especially if your child is just learning to play an instrument.  You’ll also want to check with your child’s school.  Most school music departments have band nights where the program is explained to parents.  Generally, the school contracts with a musical instrument company that offer rentals for the school year.  Many also offer an exchange program should your child decide to switch to a different instrument.  Rental is a great way to go initially.

If your child sticks with the instrument, you can go out and buy them a more expensive, higher quality instrument.

With the options available today, your child should be able to learn how to play an instrument of their choice without sending you out looking for a second mortgage on your home. Childrens Musical Instruments are not that expensive.

Recorder Instruments are generally the first musical instrument that children in first grade are introduced to. This is a great place to start as they are extremely cheap and are easy to use. Most of the time, the school will either provide them, or will have you kick in $5 or so to purchase one for your student.

There isn’t much to these units, but there are many different models. Most run inside of $10, but there are some more advanced models that sell for much more than that. Unless your child is an accomplished recorder player, the less expensive models will do just fine.

Here’s a selection of various recorders:

Yamaha 20-Series 3-Piece C-Soprano Recorder Instruments

Players of all levels will enjoy the precise, uniform intonation of the 20 series recorders. This recorder, made of ABS resin, combine outstanding Yamaha quality with durability for the ultimate in a lightweight recorder. Ease of play makes the 20 series the perfect place to start. The Baroque-English fingering uses the slightly harder “forked” fingering for F, but it leads to a wider choice of music since most recorder music is written for the Baroque-English fingering. A three-piece recorder has several advantages: some people find three-piece recorders easier to clean; small adjustments for ease of fingering or intonation can be made to the foot joint; and if you have a group of children who like to play their recorders when they should be listening, you can have them take off the head joint to practice fingerings without making any noise.

This recorder sells for around $5.

Yamaha YRS302B Recorder Instruments

For the price, I think this recorder is one of the best plastic models available. If you’ve got a child who you think has a natural talent for music and would like to give them an upgraded recorder, I would highly recommend this one over the cheaper ones. While it isn’t a big issue for beginners, the cheaper ones tend to sound shrill when you start playing the higher notes. Well, of course the shrill sounding recorders CAN be a big issue – especially for the adults who have to listen to them at home! If that’s a concern to you, the Yamaha 302 has a much warmer tone and the higher register isn’t as brutal on the ears. The 302 comes with a cleaning rod, cream for the joints and a pretty nice carrying case that most of the cheaper ones don’t have. It also comes with a fingering chart.

As with other recorders, this unit does tend to clog easily. In my opinion, the thinner mouthpiece is the cause. It makes it more comfortable to play, but the clogging is the price you pay.

Yamaha Simulated Rosewood 300-Series 3-Piece C-Soprano Recorder Instruments

Now here is a model that you’d purchase only for the accomplished recorder player. I’d not recommend this for children just starting out.

This is a really nice unit – not like the one you or your parents likely had back in the day. This recorder sounds just as good as one of the much more pricier units. It’s got an excellent dynamic range, with minimal fluctuation in pitch. You can push it to the max in all registers to produce an edgy sound, or you can produce a very pleasant piano sound with acceptable intonation.

If you want to spend a few more dollars once junior starts to get the hang of his cheap Recorder Instruments, you won’t go wrong with this unit.